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Friday, December 30, 2011

HEAVEN AND HELL / The Devil You Know (2009)

Iommi, Butler, Appice and Dio. Sound familiar? It's Dio-era Black Sabbath in all but name. Geezer Butler brings a lifetime's experience of bass riffs but doesn't dwell on past glories. Sure, there's some of the old Sabbath vibe, but it's not a rehash of old sold as new, it's a lot of new from a bunch of olds.
It's not as good as the Heaven and Hell (1980) album from which they took their name, but I don't think it's possible to ever top that.
It's a lot more doom sounding than I ever imagined it would be, so it took a few listens before I could shake the old expectations and find the stand-out tracks. I expect that may well be a common feeling among fans.